History in the making

THE WALPar story

Over 50 years ago Planet Corporation opened its Highway and Railroad Safety Products division near Birmingham. The facility was strategically located three miles south of U.S. Steel's Fairfield, Alabama plant.

Henry A. Parker, a Licensed Professional Civil Engineer and University of Alabama graduate, was hired as Planet Corporation’s Chief Engineer in 1973 after many years with U.S. Steel.

In July 1974 Walpar was chartered by Richard A. Wall, Jr., formerly General Manager of Planet Corporation's Highway Division, and Henry Parker. The company subsequently acquired Planet Corporation's Birmingham facilities and business operations. In 1978 Mr. Parker purchased Mr. Wall's interest in the company.

Until July 2009, Walpar operated as a family-owned business and achieved tremendous growth and market presence under the leadership of Henry Parker as Chief Executive Officer, and his two sons H. Allen Parker, Jr. and Stanley R. Parker.

Allen joined Walpar full-time in 1978, and was named President of the company in January 2007. Stan joined Walpar in 1980 and was later named Vice President.

In July 2009, Walpar was recapitalized by Rock Gate Peninsula I, a partnership of Rock Gate Partners and Peninsula Capital Partners, to facilitate continued growth and estate planning objectives.

In July 2018, Walpar was acquired by Valmont® Industries, Inc. The acquisition makes Walpar part of the world’s leader in engineering and manufacturing lighting, signage and traffic management structures. Valmont is a global leader in the Engineered Support Structures, Coatings, Irrigation and Utility Support Structures business segments. Valmont Industries, Inc. (VMI) is publicly traded on the NYSE.

The entire Walpar team takes great pride in its customer relationships and seeks to differentiate itself from competitors through excellence in design, engineering, product fabrication, quality control and customer service.

THE WALPAR TEAM

Walpar employs passionate individuals who genuinely care about the organization. The Company maintains a uniquely collaborative culture with relentless focus on continuous improvement.